Healthy eating
Eating healthy foods is important for everyone, but even more so for people with diabetes.
Consuming a variety of foods in the right amounts, eating regularly, and matching how much you eat with your activity level will help you manage your blood glucose. You don't need to ban any foods from your meal plan, but you may need to limit the amounts or how often you eat some of them.
Following your meal plan, being active, and taking your diabetes medications as prescribed are the cornerstones of good diabetes self-care. Your meal plan should be one that you will enjoy and find easy to follow. The goals of your meal plan are to help you:
- Keep your blood glucose within your goal range
- Manage your weight
- Control lipid levels to reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease
- Control blood pressure
- Reduce your risk of developing diabetes complications
The effect of dietary carbohydrate on blood glucose
Carbohydrate is the main nutrient that raises blood glucose levels. Simple carbohydrate or sugar will begin to raise blood glucose very soon after ingestion. Complex carbohydrate or starchy foods take longer for the body to convert to sugar but will eventually be changed completely to glucose. Protein and fat have little effect on blood glucose levels.
Expert advice on nutrition
It is important to be aware of which foods contain carbohydrate (carbs) and to eat consistent amounts at meals and snacks at similar times each day. Some people on intensive insulin therapy or insulin pumps use carb counting to match the amount of rapid-acting insulin they take before eating to the amount of carbs they choose to eat at a meal. Counting carbs can help people manage blood glucose levels and adds flexibility to their food choices and meal timing. For more information about advanced carb counting ask your healthcare provider for a referral to a registered dietitian.
Carb-containing foods have many vitamins and minerals. Fruits, vegetables, bread, cereals, pasta, and dairy products all contain carbs, and so do sugary foods. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that 45% to 65% of your daily calories come from carbs. Foods such as grains, fruit, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products are your best carb sources. It's also wise to choose high-fiber foods to balance your meal plan. Examples of high-fiber foods are whole-grain breads and pasta, brown rice, fresh fruits and vegetables, and beans. You can eat sugary foods within your carb allowance but keep in mind that sugary foods usually have more calories and fat and less nutritional value than other carb-rich foods.
How much do I need?
The amount of calories and carbs you need depends on your:
- Height
- Weight and weight history
- Age
- Usual food habits and daily schedule
- Level of physical activity
- Blood glucose levels
- Blood lipid levels
For women, a reasonable starting point is about 45 to 60 grams or 3 to 4 servings of carbohydrate per meal and for men, 60 to 75 grams or 4 to 5 servings of carbs each meal. How the carbs are distributed between meals and snacks depends on your current food habits and daily schedule, and the types and doses of your medication.
Personal stories about healthy eating
What about the Glycemic Index?
The Glycemic Index is a measure of how much an individual food will raise the blood glucose level. Some carbohydrate foods can cause a faster rise in blood glucose level than other foods. Considering the gylcemic index of foods may be an added benefit to blood glucose control. Talk to your healthcare provider for more information about the glycemic index.
What is a serving?
The exchange lists for meal planning can help you determine serving sizes. One serving of starch, fruit, or milk has about 15 grams of carbohydrate.
The size of a single serving varies with the type of food. Serving sizes are often smaller than what you are used to eating. At first you'll find it helpful to weigh or measure your food to determine your serving sizes. Here are some examples of 1 serving of foods which contain 15 grams of carbohydrate:
-
1/3 cup cereal, cooked rice or pasta, not dry
- 1 slice of bread or a small roll
- 1 small piece of fruit
- 1/2 cup corn, peas, or potatoes
- 1 cup non-fat milk or yogurt
You can read the labels on food products to see how much carbohydrate, protein, fat, and fiber they contain. Be aware that some "low-fat" products have extra sugar. Check the food label for words that end in "-ose" such as sucrose, fructose, and dextrose. These are types of sugars. The total grams of carbohydrate on the label less the grams of fiber is the number you should use when you are counting carbohydrates. This number will include starch and sugar.
You can use the food look-up tool to find the nutritional content of many of your favorite foods.
If you are dining out or unable to use measuring cups or scales, you can estimate serving sizes by using your hand.
The estimated serving sizes are based on the size of a woman’s hand.
Other Nutrients
Protein:
Protein helps to build and repair your body tissues. Meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, and eggs all contain protein. It takes the body a little longer to convert protein into glucose. Some protein-rich foods are also high in fat and cholesterol. Choose low-fat protein foods to limit your fat intake. For those with no kidney problems, health experts usually recommend that 15-20% of total daily calories come from protein.
Fat:
Different kinds of fat make up the rest of your meal plan. Monounsaturated fat refers to certain fats such as canola and olive oil. Polyunsaturated fats are found in corn and safflower oils. Saturated fat is usually solid at room temperature, and is found mostly in animal products such as butter and meat although it is also found in tropical oils such as coconut and palm kernel oil. Less than 10% of your total daily calories should come from saturated fat.
